Politics
Presidents
The president of the United States is the head of state and the head of government for a term of 4 years. After that, new elections will take place. Ever since the Declaration of Independence was signed, the United States has had 46 presidents in total. The president who sits in the oval office today is Joe Biden, who won the elections from Donald Trump. The four presidents of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota are seen as the presidents who represent the most important events in U.S. history. Check out the picture to learn about them.
The Structure of the government
The Constitution of the United States has divided the federal government into three branches. These branches can respond to each other’s actions so that no individual or group will ever have too much power.
The Legislative branch makes the laws. It includes Congress. The Congress consists of two parts:
- Senate – Every state provides two elected Senators, so in total, there are 100 Senators.
- House of Representatives – In total, there are 435 elected Representatives divided among the 50 states. The bigger the state, the more Representatives it has in the House.
The Executive branch makes sure that the laws are carried out. It includes:
- The president – The leader of the country, the head of state, leader of the government and Commander in Chief of the United States armed forces.
- Vice president – Supports the president. Also, when the president is not able to serve anymore, the vice president becomes president.
- The Cabinet – They advise the president. The Cabinet-members are elected by the president.
The Judicial branch explains and interprets the meaning of the laws. It includes:
- The Supreme Court – This is the highest court in the U.S. and the justices are nominated by the president and approved by the Senate. It is located in Washington D.C.